Train the Runner You Are Now

2006, 2 kilometres in, all I could think was cigarette

2006, 2 kilometres into the JP Morgan Chase Challenge, and all I could think was, "I really need a cigarette."

If there had been a guy with a fridge on his back racing that day, it would have been the moment he cruised past me.

Ego was my fuel. As a young brash (read cocky) 25 year old I had talked a good game to my colleagues, and even though several had already passed me, Tom from Ops bellowed "Keep up, Chev" as he glided past. I refused to give up.

Let me be truthful

Let me be truthful and say I had not trained at all.

I genuinely (I did say I was cocky) believed I could crush a 5 kilometre right up until the start line.

Wait a sec, I said I would be truthful.

I genuinely believed I could crush a 5 kilometre right up until about 1 kilometre in.

Because those first few minutes, not too bad at all. I had age on my side, and a real sense of self-belief, which is a pretty potent combination for distorting reality.

The window of reference we run through

But you have to realise the context of that era. Running was something the weird guy called Dave did in the office. There were no social media feeds with people sharing their lessons. And we were coming off the back of the nineties and early noughties lads' mag culture, action hero stars, and men's health magazines screaming rippling abs, bulging biceps and "Just Do It."

Here is why this matters when you have been working 50-plus hour weeks and trying to get back to running. One of the biggest influences on how you approach those runs is the window of reference you look at training through.

That window will be formed in one part by who you are, your past experiences of training, and by what you do and do not consume through the thousands of messages you are receiving every day on and offline.

Where you make the mistake I made 20 years ago

You will try to run the distance you ran at your best, and log the same number of runs as everyone else on Strava.

And here is where you will possibly make the mistake I did 20 years ago.

You will refuse to run slower than you should.

You will chase the pace you once ran with ease, and forget that a lot has happened since then.

You will make it either you against you of yesteryear, or you against everyone else who runs, who has a completely different life than yours.

Rosie's 4 out of 10 was a 7 out of 10

Rosie works a 50-plus hour week in Risk and started training with me 2 months ago because every time she got back to running, it would last a couple of weeks and she would be back to feeling frustrated for not being able to maintain.

During her initial diagnostic I wanted to see what Rosie's easy pace looked like.

10 minutes in, I could see that what was meant to be an energy-friendly 4 out of 10 effort was a more demanding 7 out of 10.

Multiply that by 3 or 4 sessions in a 50-plus hour work week with 6 hours sleep and the body is going to hit the brakes on motivation to train, quicker than that chap with the fridge on his back overtaking you.

But it is also opportunity for Rosie to make some quick wins.

The takeaway

The takeaway is this. When returning to running meet your body where it is at on any given day, not where you wish it should be.

And definitely do not spark up a cigarette at the finish line if you are afraid of being judged. Take it from me, you will get a side eye or two.

Stop looking over your shoulder and stop chasing everyone else.

Work is Load. Train Accordingly.

Coach